I THOUGHT we had seen it all when former Prime Minister Theresa May put up the same bill in Westminster three times in a row hoping that just one more push would be enough. In the end the Speaker of the House of Commons has to rule out the idea of putting the same issue up for repetitive votes in the hope that eventually it would win.

If Boris Johnson and his cronies were paying attention to what was happening then, they would have known that losing a vote on Saturday would not mean they could try to run it again only two days later.

READ MORE: Scottish Government urges MSPs to withhold consent for Brexit bill

Maybe the archaic parliament in Westminster could learn from the standing orders of local councils such as Renfrewshire, which impose a six-month rule on debating the same issue? Of course there is leeway to overrule this procedure if there has been a major change in circumstances, but the Prime Minister going into a huff would not be applicable.

It is ironic though that the same BritNat politicians who refuse to accept the rights of Scottish voters to have another referendum on independence after five long years of broken promises believe they can simply repeat votes within days until they get their way. The sooner we are out of this damned Union the better.

Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley

THERE is a wee question anent the issue of customs declaration forms on goods from Northern Ireland into the UK. Does that mean travellers from Northern Ireland into the UK at ports and airports will go through customs inspections? Will there be the application of duty-free allowances or differential VAT payments to be paid? Will there be frictionless travel as well? And what would apply after the envisaged transitional period of Brexit to travellers to and from the UK including UK nationals?

It seems there are unanswered issues which can only be prised out of ministers’ mouths. Hence the reason for a hitherto untrustworthy PM trying to ram things without scrutiny through Parliament.

John Edgar
Kilmaurs

THERE is a stark difference between Nicola Sturgeon’s leadership and the exemplary way the MSPs in Westminster carry out their duties under the direction of Ian Blackford, and the appalling behaviour of our Prime Minister who cannot respect the will of parliament and send the Benn Act letter to the EU in the correct way. His entourage are no better.

Scotland should be very proud of Nicola. She is a genuine politician and I held that view when I lived in England. I was quite envious of Scotland at the time, when all we had was Cameron down there, and look what happened when he was running the show! Once we have our independence we can show them how it should be done.

Susan Rowberry
Duns

THE disgraceful behaviour of the right-wing tabloids which print photographs of judges and MPs who disagree with their wealthy owners and labels them traitors, amongst other derogatory remarks, are causing deep divisions in the UK which may not heal for a generation.

What is happening in Westminster at present is a battle between those who want to do the right thing to protect the livelihoods of ordinary working people and those who want absolute power without any rational interference by the European Union to protect the majority. Let us hope that those who want to do the right thing prevail. Whatever the outcome in Westminster Scotland should leave the (inaptly) named United Kingdom because if the power-seekers lose this battle they will be back supported by wealthy people who only want to be wealthier.

Mike Underwood
Linlithgow

WE Catalans witness with disbelief the continuous signs of intolerance, repression and lack of democracy on the part of the Spanish state in its desperate attempt to criminalise the Catalan independence movement.

We, Catalan pro-independence activists, are peaceful people who practice non-violence to protest against the repression of the Spanish state, which has imprisoned our leaders and forced our legitimate president Carles Puigdemont into exile in Belgium. The Catalan pro-independence activists have organised the largest peaceful demonstrations that has ever taken place in Europe to claim our legitimate right to become a new state of Europe, a free and democratic state.

The Spanish media are at the service of the state and continually slander the Catalan independence movement branding it as violent. We Catalans are neither violent nor terrorists. We are a peaceful people who, like many others throughout history, only fight for our freedom.

Marta Amigo
Catalonia

IN his article yesterday (SNP must do more to convert Scottish Tories – their votes can win indyref2, October 23), Michael Fry has made a good case for putting himself forward as the champion of independence among ScottishTories.

He describes himself as a “homeless Tory” who clearly wants independence, but asks the SNP to move a wee bit further to the right to win over soft Tories to the cause. Instead of trying to change the excellent values of the SNP, I would seriously (and genuinely) ask Michael to reach out to these “homeless Tories” and show them how and why HIS path arrived at a deep desire for Scottish independence.

READ MORE: SNP must do more to convert Scottish Tories towards indyref2

Surely he now has a duty to explain to these people why HE still wants independence although he himself does not agree with SNP’s economic policies or its “move to the left”. Many of them would listen to him if he could get his message into their channels of communication as clearly as he does to us via The National. From what he says about swinging voters looking for a home, he would be the best missionary for this important task. How about it Michael?

Dennis White
Blackwood